‘Transparent’ Is Considering Season 5 Without Jeffrey Tambor

Transparent fans were equally surprised and disheartened to find star Jeffrey Tambor among the Hollywood men accused of sexual harassment, and the series’ future may be a complex one as a result. A new report suggests that Transparent may follow the House of Cards example, and will consider a fifth season without its central star.

It was last week that Emmy-winner Tambor responded to allegations of indecent conduct made by his former assistant – who herself is transgender – while Amazon confirmed they’d since opened an investigation into the matter. No updates in the case have been made public, but Deadline now reports that “the writers have contemplated a possible a fifth season without the show’s title and celebrated character.”

Transparent might have an easier time breaking ties with Tambor than House of Cards with Spacey, as Tambor does not serve as executive producer to the series, nor had Season 5 entered production at the time word of his alleged behavior broke. That said, the series may not have much more to offer Amazon, as the streaming service now seeks enough of a broad hit that they’d foot a billion-dollar bill for a Lord of The Rings series.

And while House of Cards had a new lead ready-and-waiting in Robin Wright’s Claire, it isn’t entirely clear how Transparent might write out its title character, if need be. The Pfeffermans are certainly enough of an ensemble for new stories, and could easily continue the trans and queer visibility Transparent puts foremost, though no immediate decisions have been made regarding Tambor’s participation in Season 5.

We’ll see if Amazon takes action or runs into a similar snag as House of Cards, so stay tuned for the latest.